Habitat restoration also a priority for Blue Heron site

In tandem with the Riverwalk project to create a promenade along the Willamette River to the falls, planners envision a habitat restoration effort that would rough up the artificially straight river banks, replace invasive species with natives, and circulate water through the now-stagnant Upper Basin, likely by flowing it through canals in the site.

Restoring that habitat to the degree that we can is a really important value, said Metro Councilor Carlotta Collette.

Real estate broker John McKay said he used to do inspections on the site decades ago and recalls the horrible chemicals and industrial byproducts.

They pretty much just dumped everything into the river, McKay said.

For better or for worse, thats not really a lasting problem at the site. There is very little soil there; it is mostly concrete and basalt. During floods  for example, the record-breaking 1996 flood  everything washes downstream.

In fact, it was so clean, the (Environmental Protection Agency) was worried they wouldnt be able to help us, Collette said.

The potential liability issues this poses were part of the reason the governments involved did not want to buy the property even though its $2.2 million price tag would have been a small percentage of the overall budget.

George Heidgerkens Falls Legacy, LLC., is unlikely to have that problem because of its limited liability.

See more on the Willamette Falls Legacy Projects habitat restoration efforts in the Aug. 14 edition of the Sustainable Life section.